A/35/PV.90 General Assembly
In the absence of the President, Mr. Slim (Tunisia), Vice-President, took the Chair.
21. Nqmibia, putting an end to the apartheid regime in 0vuth Africa and ensuring majority government in that country. 133. With regard to economic problems, we hope that the United Nations will complement the efforts of the OAU in the field of the economic and social development of Africa as provided for in the Lagos Plan of Action for the Implementation of the Mon- rovia Strategy for the Economic Development of Africa, which was adopted at the second extraordi- nary session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the OAU-the first conference de- voted to African economic questions-, held at Lagos on 28 and 29 April 1980. We hope to see the -pplica- tion of the Lagos Plan forming part of the over-all International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations development Decade, particularly as regards the Transport and Communications De- cade in Africa and the Industrial Development De- cade for Africa. 134. Africa notes with regret that the role of the United Nations has not been commensurate with the importance of the problem of the refugees in Africa, who constitute half of all the world's refugees. We 155. I should like to conclude on a fairly optimistic note at this period when we have celebrated the week of solidarity with Namibia and the Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The great event of the year for Africa in particular is undoubtedly Zimbab- we's accession to independence. That resounding victory augurs well, and thanks to the combined efforts of the United Nations, the OAU and all orga- nizations struggling for freedom and human dignity we can one day hope to see the dawn of a new day over southern Africa and to see the wind of indepen- dence blow and sweep the spectres of colonialism, racism and apartheid off the Cape of Good Hope. 156. In April 1958, I had the good fortune of at- tending the first Conference of Independent African States at Accra. There were eight of us present. Twenty-two years later, a short time in the life of a continent, we are 50, nearly a third of the Members 6 Signed at Lome on 31 October 1979. See The Courrier, ACP- EEC, No. 58, November 1979. Nations to give maximum support to the OAU in this enormous task. 167. Thus, as we embark on the decade of the 1980s, the African continent faces a mammoth task of eco- nomic reconstruction. To quote my President, "if this community of States is to continue to survive not as a fossilized institution of man-made curiosities, but vibrant, viable and relevant to our age" [8th meeting, para. /2] the two organizations must continue their co-operation in order to achieve the goal of economic self-sufficiency. That is our goal for the 1980s, and it happens to coincide with that of the United Nations. 168. Mr. LOZINSKY (Union of Soviet Socialist Republic) [interpretation from Russian]: The Soviet Union values highly the work of the OAU. As an Nations because of its refusal to comply with the United Nations decisions calling for the granting of genuine independence to Namibia and the elimina- tion of the criminal policy of apartheid. 172. Free Africa is now going through a critical period in its development imperialist circles are pur- suing a policy of stepping-up tension in Africa and adjacent regions, intervening in the internal affairs of African countries and attempting to sow division among African States and hamper their relations with the socialist and progressive countries of the world. 173. As for the Soviet Union, as was recently stressed by the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and President of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, L. I. Brezhnev, our country: '"... is not seeking any special rights or privileges for itself in Africa or in any other continent. What we wish to see there is the reign of peace and har- mony. We would like to see every African nation enjoying the fruits of freedom, as master of the re- sources of its own soil, with racism and apartheid rooted out of every corner of the African continent. This is a policy which we will continue to pursue firmly and consistently." 174. In establishing the OAU in 1%3, the heads of State and Government of the African countries de- clared that it was the desire of the OAU to strengthen 175. Convinced that the continuation and strength- ening of co-operation between the United Nations and the OAU is in keeping with the interests of the struggle for the final elimination of colonialism, racism and apartheid and for the strengthening of interna- tional peace and security, the Soviet Union will con- tinue to provide the necessary support in United Na- tions organs for the efforts of the OAU to defend the political and economic independence of the peoples of African countries and for the further enhancement of their positive role in international affairs.
The delegation of the German Democratic Republic would like to stress that it fully endorses draft resolution A/35/L.29 and Add.l.
177. The joint endeavours undertaken by the United Nations and the DAU proved particularly success- ful in the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, of which we commemorate the twentieth anniversary this year. The implementation of the de- mands contained in operative paragraph 4-namely, to intensify the efforts finally to eliminate colonialism, racism and apartheid, as well as to increase assis- tance to the national liberation movements in Nami- bia and South Africa-is particularly urgent f01 the liberation of the African continent.
178. These activities of the OAU aimed at deep- ening the co-operation between African States and peoples with regard to solving the crucial problems of that continent are greatly appreciated by the Ger- man Democratic Republic.
179. The importance of the OAU is increasing in the light of the mighty movement of African peoples for national, political and economic self-determina- tion. It cannot be overlooked, however, that certain circles try everything in order to undermine the strengthening of African unity on the basis of anti- colonialism and anti-imperialism.
180. Is it not surprising when those very circles which want to keep alive the racist regime of South Africa through multilateral assistance, which derive gigantic profits from the plundering of human and natural resources in South Africa and Namibia, and which take feverish action to increase the number of their military bases in Africa, talk about non-inter- ference in the affairs of African peoples and States? This makes it imperative for all people to be vigilant.
181. The German Democratic Republic fully under- stands the efforts made by the OAU to place the activities of transnational corporations in African.
States under national control and supervision and to curb their neo-colonialist practices, and it supports the endeavours of the Organization directed towards a restructuring of international economic relations on an equitable and democratic basis.
184. The PRESIDENT [interpretation from French]: A number of delegations have expressed the wish to explain their positions on the decision just taken. I shall now call on them. 185. Mr. PETERS (Luxembourg) [interpretation from French]: Although the nine members of the European Community joined in the consensus on draft resolution A/35/L.29 and Add.I, they have cer- tain reservations on its contents. They would like to reaffirm the view that the General Assembly should not, in principle, endorse decisions taken in forums other than those of the United Nations. 186. Mr. TUROT (France) [interpretation from French]: France did not object to the consensus on the draft resolution. None the: less, I wish to make clear that had the text been put to a vote my delega- tion would not necessarily have voted in favour of it.
187. In addition to the reservations expressed by the representative of Luxembourg on behalf of the nine States members of the European Community, I should like to add that it is difficult for us to note "with satisfaction" or "to approve" all the decisions, recommendations and proposals that are contained in the conclusions of the Nairobi meeting of June 1980. Those conclusions indeed affirm the role of an organ the competence of which we do not recognize, give to certain movements which do not represent sovereign States a role about which we have reser- vations of principle, and lead the United Nations to contribute subsidies in various ways to the 0 AU. We have, of course, the greatest esteem for the OAU. Since its establishment it has played a remarkable role in the process of the unification and development of Africa. But it seems to us contrary to the rules of sound budgetary practice to request the United Na- tions Secretariat to meet automatically all requests for assistance. What would be the result of such a procedure if it were used by other institutions outside the Organization? We have reservations also about the United Nations taking responsibility for the
193. I should, however, like to record that my dele- gation does not accept that there is at present a situa- tion resulting from "acts of aggression" in the sense in which that expression is used in Article 39 of the Charter. My delegation also has reservations about certain other operative paragraphs.
The meeting rose at 6 p.m,